Joe Frazier (Joseph William 'Joe' Frazier), also known by the nickname Smokin 'Joe (Fuming Joe) was born in 1944 in Beaufort, South Carolina, USA (Laurel Bay, Beaufort, South Carolina). He was one of 10 children Rubin and Dolly Frazier (Rubin and Dolly Frazier), who could care for their children, and Joe more than once admitted that his father was always there. In the 1950s, the Fraser family got hold of a black and white TV, and neighbors and relatives from all over the district came to their house to watch boxing matches. Joe, who was always keenly interested in boxing matches, tried to imitate the strikes of fighters from the television screen, and one of his relatives once remarked this, saying something like: 'Look, and our Joe will be the champion! You'll see - it will be the second Joe Louis! '. Hearing this, the flattered boy firmly believed that it was now necessary for him to become a champion. Later Joe, stuffing a bag with rags, corn cobs, bricks and Spanish moss, which grew up in those parts everywhere, made himself a boxing pear and began training. Much later in the interview Fraser told that for 6 or 7 years he was engaged almost daily, hourly practicing his blows, wrapping his arms with his old father's tie, or with mother's stockings. In 1959, 15-year-old Joe, who had just been fired from the farm on which he worked, was suddenly left to himself. Without thinking twice, he went to his brother Tommy (Tommy) in New York (New York), where for a while he earned what he had, including not always honestly. Later, he moved to his relatives in Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and it was there that he had the opportunity to train in the gym.

In the early 1960s Joe already won his first amateur championships, including the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves in 1962, 1963 and 1964. The first defeat of a very well-started boxer was in 1964 the loss of the national selection for the Tokyo Olympic Games to the huge Buster Matthies, Sr., who, unlike the short Joe, was ideally suited for performances among amateurs. However, at the last moment Mattis was injured, and he was successfully replaced by Fraser.

In Tokyo in 1964, Joe Frazier earned Olympic gold in heavyweight, not leaving his rivals a chance. Best then all the German Hans Huber (Hans Huber), but the victory on points (2: 1) was still awarded to Fraser. This medal that year became the only American gold in boxing.

A year later, Joe came to the professional ring, thanks to the efforts of the leader Yanka Durham. So, on August 16, 1965, Joe first entered the professional ring. The first contender of Joe was Woody Goss (Woody Goss) whom Fraser sent into the knockout in the first round. The manner of boxing by Frazier began to stand out with rigidity, the left hook was "crowned". The professional career of the young boxer started quite successfully, and his first very distinguished opponent was in 1966, Dick Wipperman (Dick Wipperman); however, and he was knocked out in the 5th round.

The boxer won 11 fights and on his way was Oscar Bonavena, who immediately showed his character gathered at Madison Square Garden. One round is two knockdowns for Joe. Despite this, Frezer was able to gather and still win in the 10-round battle. Then one after another came the hard knockouts of Doug Jones, Eddie Machen, Jeff Davis, Georges Chuvalo. And already in 1967, Joe had nineteen wins in nineteen fights. It was an absolute record. By the end of 1967, Fraser had a record record - 19 wins in 19 fights. Joey's next opponent was Jerry Quarry, whose battle, which was held in September 1969, was recognized as the 'Fight of the Year'.

When Mohammed Ali was exiled from the throne, the real chaos came. In New York State it was time to hold a championship tournament. For this reason, on March 4, 1968, Joe Frazer meets with Buster Matis. The fight goes on equal for three rounds, but the 11th round brought Mathis a knockout. Then the long-awaited title went to Joe Frazier. For two years he successfully defended his title.

In February 1970, Fraser got the right to fight for the WBA belt of the world champion; his opponent was Jimmy Ellis (Jimmy Ellis). The result was a knockout of Ellis in the fifth round. His title, as well as the title of champion WBC title Fraser defended in a battle with the legendary Bob Foster (Bob Foster), whom he knocked out in the 2nd round. In the same year, in the summer, disqualification was lifted from Muhammad Ali, who was previously unbeaten. Immediately the question arose about who to consider a champion: Fraser or Ali. So, inevitable and obvious was the Fraser fight with the legendary Mohammed Ali (Muhammad Ali). Naturally, the excitement around this event was simply unthinkable: the battle took place in the best arena in America, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, and the tickets for the fight were sold out for another month. Each participant is assigned a huge amount for those times - two and a half million dollars. The battle takes place on March 8, 1971 in Madison Square Garden. The hall is crowded. In his characteristic forceful manner, Joe Frezer, nicknamed for it "black Marciano", defeats Mohammed Ali. After 15 rounds, the judges give Joe a vote. For boxer Ali - this is the first defeat in life. The fight after was recognized as the 'Fight of the Century'.

In January 1973, a battle took place between two undefeated boxers - Fraser and George Forman. Frazier was knocked down three times in the first round, and three times in the second. Foreman won a technical knockout in the 2nd round. The duel was given the status of "fight of the year" according to the version of the magazine "Ring".

In January 1974, Fraser's second fight against Mohammed Ali took place. The fight consisted of 12 rounds. As a result of the fight, Mohammed Ali was awarded a unanimous decision. Many decision of the judges seemed controversial. In June, the second fight took place between Fraser and Jerry Kwari. Fraser knocked out the opponent in the 5th round. In March 1975, the second battle took place between Fraser and Jimmy Ellis. Fraser knocked out the opponent in the 9th round.

On October 1, the third battle between Fraser and Mohammed Ali took place. The battle took place in an incredible heat - more than 30 degrees. It was a stubborn and aggressive battle with intrigue until the very end, this time, it was generally agreed that the boxers came out to kill each other: Ali and Fraser arranged a real fight. From the first to the fifth round the advantage was over Ali, from the sixth to the 11th Fraser "beat" Ali, after another round Ali said: "I seem to be dying." After the 14th round, Fraser's coach stopped the fight - Fraser, being blind to his left eye, almost did not see the right (the coach showed three fingers and asked them to count, Fraser replied "one"). At the same time in his corner Ali asked me to take off his gloves ("I'm very tired, take off my gloves") and, according to my doctor, could not go out to the 15th round. After the end of the fight, Mohammed got up and fell unconscious in his corner. In whose favor the battle would have ended, if the judge had not stopped him, it remains a question. After this fight Ali named Fraser the best boxer after himself and said that he very much underestimated him. The duel was called "Triller in Manila" and the status of "fight of the year" according to the version of the magazine "Ring". The battle was the greatest in boxing history, it set a record for the number of thrown strikes, which was beaten only 20 years later.

So, a series of wonderful victories Joe Frazier ended.

Despite this, Fraser is considered one of the outstanding professional heavyweight boxers, and one of the best punchers in boxing history, the owner of one of the strongest left hooks in history. It was he who first managed to take the title from Mohammed Ali. The name Joe Frazier opens the history of champions of the World Boxing Association (WBA). The smoking Joe became the first WBC champion, still the most prestigious version among the heavyweights. Fraser - the first absolute "alphabetical" world champion, united in one hands the titles of the WBC and WBA (IBF and WBO at that time had not arisen). It is with Fraser that the line of absolute "alphabetical" champions begins, which ended in 1978 and was reborn in a new composition nine years later.

The 67-year-old Joe Frazier was diagnosed with a terrible liver cancer at a very difficult stage. Joe Frazier, the legend of American boxing, passed away on November 7, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mohammed Ali, being a very sick man, came to lead his main, not defeated opponent on his last journey.